Hello from Hawaii

[BigIsland27]

I'm over here on the Big Island. Been here about four years, from Santa Barbara originally.
Diving here is great year around, but I find myself really missing Calif. and the Kelp beds.
Guess the grass is always greener somewhere else.

 

[Mo2vation]

I'm over here on the Big Island. Been here about four years, from Santa Barbara originally.
Diving here is great year around, but I find myself really missing Calif. and the Kelp beds.
Guess the grass is always greener somewhere else.

I spent a week diving off of the Big Island, and I was really, REALLY missing my SoCal waters.

I love diving other places, but there is no place like home.

---
Ken

 

[paradicio]

I've not dove the big island, but I experienced the same thing in Maui. I loved the warm water, and diving somewhere new was a real treat, but I really started missing So Cal waters. We've got some great diving here, it's too bad the cold water puts so many people off...

 

[Teamcasa]

Hmmm. Kona diving 365? I could live with it. Wait, my kids live here.. I might have to vist a couple of time a year and do a little SoCal diving to remind me how nice Kona is!

Don't mis-understand, I love to dive here in SoCal but come on, Kona does have some pretty nice diving.

 

[Adgie]

Hi there BigIsland27!

Just curious, I dove Kona last July/August for a week. I was surprised to find the reefs more whited out than I expected.

Is this normal or is something happening to the coral reefs out there?

What a great dive trip that was. I must have snorkled every beach between Kona and Waiamea!

-Adrian

 

[Mo2vation]

Hmmm. Kona diving 365? I could live with it. Wait, my kids live here.. I might have to vist a couple of time a year and do a little SoCal diving to remind me how nice Kona is!

Don't mis-understand, I love to dive here in SoCal but come on, Kona does have some pretty nice diving.

I was supremely let down when I was diving along Kona and the Big Island for the week. 23 dives and I was generally left with, "is that all there is?"

All gray coral made a great pallet for lots of colorful tiny fish. Loved the turtles. But I came back with shot after shot of gray coral.

And for 75 degrees, the trade off wasn't worth it. If I got miles of gray and 88 degrees, it might be worth the trade. But 75 is still cool water, and I expected more.

That said, SoCal diving is still my fav.

---
Ken

 

[Ted S]

I spent a week diving off of the Big Island, and I was really, REALLY missing my SoCal waters.

I love diving other places, but there is no place like home.

You truly are insane...

Good to see someone made it out of SoCal alive. I've made many trips to the Big Island but am always looking for another dive new spot... any favorites?

 

[Beachlover]

75 degrees is cool water?! That's practically bathwater. I dove Kona in December, 2005 and LOVED it. Great visibility, lava tubes,beautiful turtles, colorful fish, clean water, whales. Come on, it's an awesome place. I got certified in 1998 in southern California. I still live and dive here and am happy to do so, but I am always happy to try new places. All diving is good diving to me! Take care and good diving to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BigIsland27]

Ya, there is something going on with the reefs. It is dead in some places and it wasn’t four years ago when I first got here. On the other hand I’ve seen it grow like crazy in
Other places. I work four days a week as a diver in offshore aquaculture. The enclosures we work on have been in place for only 3 years and they hundreds of cauliflower coral on them about he size of a softballs. I’ve also noticed that the coral looks better the further north and south of Kona you get. Problem is finding someone to take you on a long range dive meaning over five miles away. Would be no big deal on Calif. Dive boats. Operators here don’t want to go very far for some reason . I don’t know why.
Check out this picture I believe it is Yellow coral which is rare. I found it at 100ft at
Shark fin rock which is right off Kona, but I was never able to find it again. I’ve also
Seen black coral at 100ft down south past city of refuge (honaunau) but I didn’t have
A camera

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[BigIsland27]

Ya, Solomon islands or Palau has been the best place I have seen in the world so far I cant decide which is best . You feel like you are in a underwater cartoon there, it is so colorful.